


Holding Hands

by essekgaylyss



Series: Critical Prompts [5]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, M/M, This technically has a happy ending, mid battle conversations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:22:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28858794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/essekgaylyss/pseuds/essekgaylyss
Summary: Rexxentrum is burning. Caleb and Essek find themselves in a less than pleasant situation.
Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Series: Critical Prompts [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711009
Comments: 8
Kudos: 79





	Holding Hands

**Author's Note:**

> After eons, I am back with another angsty shadowgast fic (who would have thought?). Thanks to folks on tumblr requesting fics, y'all are my main motivation and I love you.

When Caleb regained consciousness, Rexxentrum burned. An arrow had lodged itself into his right shoulder, rendering his arm useless in his attempt to get back onto his feet. After several failed attempts he managed to prop himself up against the wall, leaning his head back in exhaustion. He had been together with Beau and Caduceus when-

Caleb couldn’t remember what had happened. There had been a lot of shouting, fire, and smoke. Someone had called for him, but the voices all blended together in his head now. An explosion, maybe. It would explain the rubble around him, would explain the throbbing pain at the back of his head. 

There had been a plan, and it had failed miserably and somehow what had started as peaceful negotiations had turned into a horrendous ambush. Looking back, he should have known. He should have known that a man like Ikithon would not hold his word if there was more to gain from doing otherwise. Caleb himself would have done the same only a few years prior. Do whatever it takes to go beyond what was possible, to gain the knowledge that others were merely too unimaginative to understand.

In front of him, the battle resumed. It would be merely a matter of time until someone would find him, friend or enemy. Maybe one of his friends had already noticed his absence, had abandoned battle to search for him. Caleb winced at the hoarse chuckle that left his throat. He was out of magic, there was nothing he could do.

“Caleb?” The voice that called to him appeared distant, thought the ringing in his ears was most likely deceiving him. He wasn’t sure if it was the smoke or the extensive loss of blood that blurred his view, but the world around him began to fade more and more as the figure approached him.

“Caleb you need to get up.” Essek looked no better than himself, his robes torn and burned in places, smeared with blood. Caleb didn’t want to think about whose blood it was.

Lifting his head cost him more strength than he was willing to admit, but Caleb was fading and fading quickly. “My friend,” he coughed, as the drow approached.

He watched bleary eyed as the man kneeled in front of him, examining his wounds carefully. Essek had suffered a deep cut across his right cheek, that just barely had missed his eye. His usual white hair stuck to his face, tainted is ashes and blood. Essek’s mouth was moving, he was saying something, but Caleb’s eyes grew heavier and the words blurred together once again. Essek turned, looking at the battle behind him, then turned back to Caleb, a determined look crossing his face.

Caleb felt the pain jolt through every inch of his body when Essek hoisted him up and pulled him close to support him as Caleb’s feet dared to give out. They walked slowly, away from the noise, Essek’s hand tightly clutched around Caleb’s as he cast frantic looks at the battle behind them.

“This will have to do for now.” They stopped in a small alleyway, not more than a few hundred feet from chaos. Essek instructed Caleb to sit, leaning his back against the brick wall behind him as he assessed Caleb’s wounds more precisely.

Away from the fire, Caleb’s mind cleared up for a moment, leaving his focus on the arrow that had pierced his body. The thought of it, suddenly sparking a wave of anger. “I need to take it out,” he muttered, trying to reach his hand to his right shoulder, but with no avail. He was too weak.

“You will lose too much blood. I’m not a healer and I don’t have any more potions.” Essek tried to reason with him, but his frustration only grew.

“Please.” Caleb gritted his teeth, every strain of muscle sending another jolt of pain through his shoulder.

The man kneeling in front of him looked around them, assessing their situation. The fight was very much still in full motion, with no prospect of stopping anytime soon. They had nowhere to go, not with Caleb in this condition. If someone found them, he wouldn’t be able to protect the both of them for long. In a swift motion, Essek took off what remained of his cloak, pressing it to Caleb’s mouth and without giving him time to prepare, he pulled the arrow out of the wizard’s shoulder.

Caleb felt sick, his teeth biting down into the soft fabric of Essek’s cloak as he fought the urge to pass out once again. He watched as Essek threw aside the arrow, then took back his cloak and ripped it in half. The bandage he had managed to secure to Caleb’s shoulder wasn’t good by any means, but it had to do for now.

“Thank you, friend.”

An explosion made the ground quake before Essek could say another word, leaving Caleb with the dreadful thought that his friends were still out there, fighting for their life, while he was decaying somewhere in an alleyway. Time was running out. When Essek looked back at Caleb, it was written all over his face.

“I can get us to Rosohna, but I won’t be able to return.” Essek took Caleb’s hand, signifying they could leave at any second, but Caleb shook his head, giving the hand a weak squeeze.

“I won’t leave my friends. I would rather die right here.”

“That would be quite a loss,” Essek murmured, his eyes locked onto Caleb’s, their hands still tightly clasped together. Caleb thought he recognized the look in his eyes, the resignation that washed over him, the determination that followed.

“You won’t be able to fight in this condition. I will find your friends and bring them here.”

Caleb shook his head, ready to protest once again, but Essek didn’t give him a chance to speak: “The most important thing for you to do is to stay alive. We can win the fight without you but not the war.” 

“I’ll try and stay alive, then.” He managed to force a smile onto his lips, releasing Essek’s hand in the process. And as he watched the wizard walk back into battle, he couldn’t help but wonder what life after this would look like. Order restored in his home, his friends safe, off on another adventure, Essek would fit in there somewhere. He just had to stay alive to make sure of it.


End file.
